1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing apparatus, and an information processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pull printing is a printing technique that enables a user to use a PC (Personal Computer) or the like to transmit print data to a predetermined server. The server stores such print data. Then, in response to an operation by the user of an image forming apparatus having the predetermined server set up as a reference destination server, the image forming apparatus acquires (pulls) the print data stored in the predetermined server and executes a print job based on the print data (see e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-099714). In pull printing, a print job may be executed when the user is near the image forming apparatus, and in this way, printed paper containing confidential information or the like may be prevented from being left abandoned or exposed to others, for example. Also, in pull printing, a print job relating to the same print data may be executed by any one of a plurality of image forming apparatuses having the same server set up as a reference destination server, for example.
However, in conventional pull printing, it is difficult to enable sharing of print data across image forming apparatuses having different servers set up as their reference destination servers. For example, assuming “user a” registers print data in “server A” corresponding to a reference destination server for one or more image forming apparatuses installed in an office where “user a” works, “user a” may be able to execute a print job relating to the print data using any of the image forming apparatuses located within the office of “user a”. On the other hand, when “user a” visits another office having image forming apparatuses designating “server B” as the reference destination server, “user a” may not be able to execute a print job relating to the print data registered in “server A” using the image forming apparatuses located within the other office.